Alfalfa-shredder.



Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WESLEY IB. KRAFT, F MILAN', KANSAS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

ALFALFA-SHREDDER.

Patented oet.` 1e, 1909.

` Application'led March 28, 1908. Serial No. 423,911.

p To all/whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WESLEY B. KRAFT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milan, in the county of. Sumner and State of' Kansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Alfalfa-Shredders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to alfalfa shredders and has for its object toproduce a machine by which alfalfa can be reduced to fine shredsefficiently and economically.

A further object is to produce a shredding machine of simple, strong,durable and com aratively inexpensive construction.

ith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features ofy construction and organization as hereinafterdescribed and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understoodreference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of an alfalfa shredder embodying my invention,with the hood and half of the cylinder omitted. Fig.

2, is a central vertical section with the hood in place. Fig. 3, is avertical transverse section with most of the cylinder teeth and thesecuring ends thereof omitted. Fig. 4, is a side elevation of the casingof the machine. In the said drawings 1 indicates a suitable frame-workhaving a top 2 ,for av portion of its length iianked by vertical walls3. An endless conveyer for forcing alfalfa toward one end of the top 2consists of a pair of chains 4 connected by toothed cross slats 5 andmoun '.ed at their ends upon sprocket wheels 7 secured on transverseshafts 6, only one shaft 6 and its sprockets 7 appearing.

Forward of top 2 and in about the horizontal plane of the saine is atransverse shaft. 8 journaled in bearings 9 secured to the frame andsecured rigidly on said shaft isa shredding cylinder 9a constructed asfollows: l0 indicates circular ends connected pe` ripherally by slats 1lfitting ed ewisetogether and secured to said ends, ands 11a fittingaround the ends of said slats as an additional precaution insecuringthem in position. 12 are radial pins projecting outward from theslats and terminating in enlarged conical 'shaped cutting heads 13, thepins having reduced stems ,14 extending through the slats and engaged attheir inner ends by nuts or taps 15. If desired the shredding pins maybe in the forni of wood screws secured to the slats. A casinofor thecylinder is constructed as follows: pair of semi-circular shaped ends 16are arranged below and concentrically of the cylinder,

. their inner edges being serrated with ratchettooth-shaped notches 17andv with radially extending kerfs 18 opening into the deep ends of saidnotches. 19 arehorizontal bars connecting the ends 16 in the plane oftop 2, and t-ting iii said kerfs and against the radial walls of thesaid notches are radially arranged knives 20. 21 are foramiiious platesor sc reens secured upon the inclined or bev' eled faces of theratchet--toothed-shaped notches of the ends 16 and corresponding ininclination to said beveled faces, and 22are thin; metal plates securedto the. inner side of ends i6 and correspondingly notched and kerfed tolaccommodate the knives and fo-L raminons plates, said plates 22servingas wear'and protection plates for ends 16 which are preferably ofwood. 23 are semi-circular plates secured to the inner edges of bars 19and fitting against the' inner edges of the radial knives 20 to hold thesaine reliably in position, itI being understood that said plates 23will be secured at intermediate points to prevent lateral movementthereof. The knives and foraniinous plates forni what may be termed theinner or foraniinous wall of the lower part of the casing, and con`necting the outer edges of ends 16 is the outer wall or shell 24 ofsuoli part of the casing. Vcrtically below the shaft 8 and 'at one endthe wall or shell 24 is cnt away and closing said cut away portion is' afan casing 25 open at its inner side and provided with a dischargepassage or spout 26. The outer wall or shell is preferably depressedcentrally to forni the transverse gutter or trough 27 and verticallyabove the saine is the transverse shaft 28 equipped with a fan 29 withinthe fan casing and by preference with a central spiral conveyor 30, theconveyer ybeing preferably of sectional forni rather than a contiguousspiral because less lpower will be required to drive it, though it is tobe understood in this connection that this con` veyer is notindispensable. Secured to the outer sides of ends 16 in any suitablemanner are end plates 31, preferably of sheet metal,I

which serve as the ends of the casing inward of the foraininous walk Theupper part of the casing is constructed preferably as follows: 32 aresemi-circular end plates connected by van inner shell or wall 33 ofsubstantially the same diameter as the foraminous wall of the lower orstationary part of the casing already described, and 34 is the outerAshell or' wall connecting ends 32 peripherally, the said.

i the cylinder. 38 indicates the belt wheel secured on shaft 8 andadapted to be driven at a high rate of speed by` a belt not shown.

' Said shaft is also equipped with a belt wheel 39' connected by belt 40with a belt wheel 41 on shaft 28` Shaft 8 is also provided with a beltwheel 42 connected b a belt 43 with -a ulley 44 on shaft 6 of t econveyer. The belt wheel 38 is operated to cause the cylinder torotate'in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fi 2, and through themedium of the connecting belts' such power serves to drive the fan inthe direction indicated by the contiguous arrow, Fi 2, and the feeder asindicated by the cont guous arrow, same ligure.

In practice, the material is deposited upon top 2 in any suitable mannerand is forced forward thereof by the conveyer and crowded through feedopenings 36 and 37 as hereinbefore stated. As it projects into the pathof the cylinder teeth, which by preference are arranged spirallythereof, as shown, it is forced downward and crowded against the firstofthe radial knives, thisA action resulting in positively and reliablyshredding the material. 1 It then is brought against the sec- .ondknife, then the third in a similar man- ,ner so that the succeedingknives will repeat the shredding operation until the material isshredded as finely as desired. It will. be understoodsthat the notchesof the lower part of the casing-form a series of pockets into whichmaterial is successively forced and momentarily arrested for the purposeof acquired by the material as yit is driven around by the cylinderteeth results in a portion of it being Iforced through the foraminousplates as they are successively Vencountered. In practice practicallyall of the material is shredded and passes outward through theforaminous plates before it has made a half revolution, though it willbe apparent that any lmaterial which is not completely shredded by thetime it has traveled a half revolution will be` carried over thecylinder by the .teeth and on the second revolution be again subjectedto the shredding action.

I have found in practice that by driving the cylinder at a high rate ofspeed, the centrifugal force produced is sufficient to effect thedischarge of the finely shredded alfalfa or other material, but in orderto make this withdrawal of the shredded alfalfa from the lowerl casingmore positive and reliable and uard against aiy ossibility of the clinder ecoming choke l) have provided t e fan which is driven rapidly inthe direction explained and serves to create a suction in the casingwhich not only effects the discharge of the shredded material as rapidlyas it passes through the foraminous plates, but also assists in drawingsuch shredded material through said plates, the employment Lof thespiral conveyer being desired chiefly to elfect an even distribution ofthe material to the fan or blower.

From the above description it will be a parent that I have produced analfalfa shredder embodying the features of advantage enumerated asdesirable and I wish `it to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes as properly fall within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim las new and desire tosecure -by Letters Patent is l.y A shredding machine, comprising acasing having a feed opening and a discharge passage, a series of radialknives and foraminous plates arranged to form a curved ratchet-toothedwall between said openin and passage, a rotatable cylinder provide withoutwardly projecting teeth adapted to successively pass vsaid kmves inclose proximity to their inner edges, when the cylinder is rotated,means to force material to be shredded, into the machine through thesaid feed opening and in the path of rotation of the teeth of thecylinder, and a con-veyerfor forcing' shredded material assed throughthe foraminous plates, toward) said discharge passage.

2. shredding machine, comprising a suitable framework having a top for apart of its length, an endless conveyer to force material to be shreddedalong said top, a casing mounted on the framework forward of the top andconveyer and consisting of an inner wall or shell and an outer wall orshell provided with alined feed openings above the plane o f the top andwith a discharge passage in the outer wall or shell at its lowest point,transverse bars between the inner and outer walls or shells of the casinin the plane .of the top, radially arrange knives and'obliquely arrangedforaminous 936,783 f y I 8 plates forming the inner Wall or shell of thecasing below said bars, a cylinder rotatable Within the casing andprovided with out- Wardly projecting pins terminating in conical shapedheads .adapted to travel in close vproximity to said knives and plates,and a rotatable fan or blower to exert a suction Within the casingtending to draw material shredded by the knives and teeth,l through l Intestimony wereof I ax my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

WESLEY B. KRAFT.

Witnesses:

` PETER SCHAURER,

J. P. WIMER.

